


The Prince and His Pauper

by TevinterPariah



Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Awkward Flirting, Ballroom Dancing, Class Differences, Disaster Gay Carlos, Disaster Gay Seb, Downton Abbey Fix-It Fic for Sybil and Branson but with Seblos, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Mazzara is #1 Seblos stan I will not take criticism on this, Mutual Pining, Royalty, Seblos, Short Circuiting Carlos, Slow Burn, Slow Dancing, Thanks Jane Austen, This is so slow burn ill have written a novel by the end of this, Waltzing, You're a real one
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-24 22:27:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22005445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TevinterPariah/pseuds/TevinterPariah
Summary: The overly self-indulgent Seblos Royal AU inspired by the lovely Tumblr user's @SmoothCarlos post:'okay but listen up - seblos royal au where carlos is a prince and seb works on the local farm for the royal family'
Relationships: Benjamin Mazzara/Miss Jenn, Big Red/Ashlyn Caswell, Carlos/Seb Matthew-Smith, Seb Matthew-Smith/Carlos Rodriguez
Comments: 93
Kudos: 75





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to @SmoothCarlos for your blessing to write this fic (I was the anon because I don't have a Tumblr anymore RIP). I am a hoe for class differentiated romances and then I saw your idea and was like welp I need this in my life right this moment. I hope I can do your iconic concept justice.

Before the cock crows or the sun even starts to beat down, Sebastian lies awake in his bed, ready for his brothers to come to get him so they can go out to the barn. He would be sleeping on any other today, but not today. Today, the royal family would be visiting all of their vassals, in their marvelous horse-drawn carriages and beautiful finery. Most importantly, he would be able to see Prince Carlos again.

Back when they were kids, the prince’s older brother Marco and their footmen would take Carlos around the kingdom to meet his people, a people that Marco would rule one day. Prince Marco was beloved by the entire kingdom for his efforts to connect with the common people and serve their needs, as opposed to that of the forever unsatisfied lords and ladies. Ever since Prince Marco had bought his personal riding horse from the Matthew-Smiths, the prince and his little brother would always visit their farm and check in on their family. When he did, Seb, or so the prince liked to call him, would have the chance to play hide and seek in the fields and tag with the young prince Carlos, which used to be his favorite pastime and one that he had the pleasure to enjoy once or twice a month.

However, it all changed when Prince Marco died in a hunting accident. The whole kingdom mourned, and nobody more so than the royal family, who locked themselves up out of sight behind the castle gates. Prince Carlos, after his brother’s passing, was to be groomed to be king, which a second son would normally not have to worry about. But Seb hadn’t seen the new heir to the throne since he began his training. The one time the vassals got to see the royals was once a year was the king’s royal survey, but even then only the king and his footmen came to visit his holdings. But this year was going to be different. Prince Carlos was of age to start going on the kingdom tours with his father.

Seb feels a smile spread across his face just imagining what his childhood friend looks like after ten long years. Would the prince even remember him? Seb isn't entirely sure, but he pushes that thought aside as he puts on his best work pants and the boots he had worked to shine all last night. For the past few years, he worked to save up his allowance to buy a deep red embroidered vest with bronze buttons from the Porter family tailors that emulated the fashion of the upper lords. Seb never felt at home in his work boots, overalls, and mud-covered canvas pants and always dreamed to one day get to wear what the beautiful nobles did, and maybe in his wildest dreams, he would actually be one of them someday. But he knows it is a pipe dream, and this vest was the closest thing he’d ever get to becoming nobility, but he wore it proudly anyway, hoping it might impress the visiting royal family. 

* * *

With a knock on the door and his brother George shouting, “Hurry up Sebastian, we have to milk the cattle before the royals arrive,” Seb leaves his room ready to face the day. When he gets to the kitchen, he finds his mother preparing breakfast for everyone. There are a few porridge bowls on the counter, some completely empty aside from the remnants of porridge, others still completely full. 

“Did George and Will already eat,” Seb asks his mother who is in the middle of kneading the dough for tonight’s bread. 

“They did and they’re already on their way to the barn,” she says before turning around. She beams at him when she sees his vest, “And where are you going today my little noble?”

“Just to help with the cattle, but the prince is visiting today,” he says through a mouthful of porridge, lighting up at the latter half of his statement.

“Well don’t ruin your vest before he gets here,” she says wagging her ladle at him from across the kitchen counter.

Seb gets up and pushes his mother’s ladle away before giving her a quick kiss on the forehead. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep clean,” he says, “Thanks for breakfast!” Seb stacks his bowl on top of the other used ones and races out to the barn as if his life depended on it. 

Maybe Will would let him give the milk and eggs to the king’s guard if he did a good job today. He doubted it, Will would do anything to become a squire. Still, there’s a part of him that feels like today was going to be a good day, and maybe, just maybe, could his brother be persuaded.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Big Red" is this fic will be henceforth known as Redonovich III, and his nickname is Red. Also, E.J. seems like an Elijah James it's kind of douchey enough, but I swear if it's something canonically wild like Thelonious Jagger again, I might die. Same with Big Red.
> 
> Also, I lowkey love Redlyn so much, they are actually the purest human beings on the planet. And like I know people are like but they're queer-coded and I raise you that they are both bi or pan.
> 
> It's been fun to try and write this like somewhat in character but also like in this Game of Thrones-esque kind of speaking style for period accuracy.

Carlos sits in his room at the top of the castle’s west spire and stares wistfully out his window. Today was the day he was finally going to go out into the kingdom again on his dad’s kingdom survey. The last time he had gone on one was before his brother had passed and since then he’d been locked within the walls of the castle. His family is terrified that something happening to him, but it’s not like he wanted to be some war hero like his brother, being the heir to the kingdom was the last thing he ever wanted. He wanted to go be a diplomat to other kingdoms to attend their fancy balls in finery and witness the beauties of the known world. He did not want to rule. 

He at least would get to go out again, he’s sure his father wouldn’t let him run around in the fields this year, but at least he could see them. He could also see people, new people, not just his parents and the same few servants in the castle. The only one he ever got close with was his valet, Redonovich III, but it was his job to be Carlos’s confidant. He also liked his mother’s lady-in-waiting Lady Ashlyn, who would sneak him treats and tell him stories about the crown’s holdings. Ever since her parents passed, she lived with her aunt’s family, including the most useless squire in the kingdom, her cousin Elijah James Caswell. The two of them liked to play tricks on him when his parents weren’t looking, Elijah James was meant to be his bodyguard and Carlos would be shocked if he could harm a fly without worrying about it messing up his hair. 

Carlos often inquired about Seb, the youngest of the Matthew-Smith boys who he used to spend time with whenever he and his brother would visit, but Ashlyn never had much to say. Her family did not know his as their farm was on the outskirts of town where she wasn’t allowed to venture to, and the one or two times she had seen him at the market, he was busy with helping stock the family’s stall. Carlos wonders if Seb still remembers him or thinks about him as oft as he does. On several occasions he had wanted to ask his father to see if Seb was allowed to come to visit so he had someone to talk to outside of the servants and his teachers, but he had gotten enough slaps on the wrist about this from his tutor Mister Mazzara to know that princes and paupers weren’t meant to interact. He had to talk with noblemen and lords like Elijah James and his dumb parents instead. 

Lady Ashlyn was a noblewoman and he liked interacting with her well enough, but that only caused problems when his mother was just certain they’d make the best couple and that she should arrange a wedding the next time she saw Lady Caswell when the two of them reached their eighteenth year. The only problem was that he didn’t like girls, at least not in the way he was supposed to, and as lovely as Lady Ashlyn was she was a sidekick, not a spouse. If Marco was still around he could have married her and then he could have done as he pleased, but no _‘you’re the heir Carlos, you have to start acting like it.’_

When his brother was the heir he was allowed to interact with the common people and help better their affairs, now all his family cares about is making sure he’s safe and away from the outside world that would hurt him like it did his brother. He can’t take it anymore, he’s sick of tutors, fencing masters, maps, and walls. He just wants to be free from it all, and at least for a few hours today, he would be. 

But maybe he’d at least get to see Seb on his tour of the kingdom, even if just through the window of their carriage, and know he is doing alright. He hopes his childhood friend is doing better than he is, but that’s a pretty low bar in the first place.

* * *

Carlos looks away from the window when he hears a knock on his door, and smooths out his maroon velvet trousers and his white silk shirt, “Come in.” 

A small ginger boy, Carlos’s valet, Redonovich III enters with his matching velvet doublet, although from the looks of it there’s more doublet then Red there. “I’m here to finishing dressing you, milord.” 

“Enough with the milord stuff, Red,” Carlos says massaging his temples, “and I can dress myself today.” 

“I’m confused mil—,” Red starts saying, but stops himself when he gets a pointed look from the prince, “My … Carlos, I thought you were excited to go out today, and that does not look like excitement,” he points at Carlos who laughs a bit as he runs his hands through his hair.

“Oh, I am, I’m just a bit on edge, considering I’ll have to spend all day with my father,” Carlos shudders a bit, “and E.J.”

Red searches his pockets, looking for something in his pockets, “My apothecary told me that lavender helps calm the nerves,” he offers Carlos the vial after taking a waft, “Want some?”

There is a knock on the chamber door once more. “I think I’ll need a bigger vial, Red,” Carlos says with a small laugh, “Come in!”

Lady Ashlyn comes bursting into the room, “Carlos, _the Queen_ says it’s time to go and you’re holding everyone up.”

“Tell _the Queen_ I’m getting ready,” he says as he fastens the golden buttons on his doublet and adjusts his crown. 

Ashlyn rolls her eyes at him,” She doesn’t care about your beauty routine, and I’m _not_ your messenger,” she goes to close the door but notices Redonovich III sitting on the prince’s bed and gives him a quick wave, “Good day, Red. You look charming today.” 

“Good day milady, your complexion is brighter than the sun this morn,” he says with a smile on his face, causing the lady to flush.

Carlos groans as he ties his boots, “Get a room, you two.” 

“Well we’d have yours if you weren’t late, _your grace_ ,” she sarcastically says before shutting the door behind her and going to update the queen. 

Carlos lets out a sigh, gets up and checks himself in the mirror once more. He makes the final adjustments to his crown, so that it lands perfectly on his, “This should be interesting, Red.” 

His valet gives him two thumbs up and tells him to, “Go get ‘em.” Carlos hopes that in fact, he will. It was his public debut to the kingdom as crown prince and heir, if he didn’t that would poise problems for future him. Today, he just hoped he could be the prince, and enjoy his time with his vassals with no surprises, and if he was lucky maybe see his old friend. He was fine, everything would be fine. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thus far, this is where I'm at with characters for clarity, it may change for some of the characters I haven't mentioned mentioned yet.
> 
> \- Seb-Matthew Smith - Third son of the Matthew-Smith farming family, vassals to the crown  
> \- Carlos - Prince of the Realm, Second son of the King and Queen, older brother Prince Marco died in a hunting accident leaving him heir  
> \- Elijah James (E.J.) Caswell - Lowborn nobleman and squire to Sir Bowen, cousin to Lady Ashlyn  
> \- Lady Ashlyn Caswell - Lowborn noblewoman, lady-in-waiting to the Queen, cousin to E.J.  
> \- Richard Bowen - Son of Sir Bowen, Apprentice Blacksmith  
> \- Redonovich III (Big Red) - Valet to Prince Carlos  
> \- Gina Porter - Only daughter of the Porter family, Set to inherit the family's tailoring business  
> \- Benjamin Mazzara - Tutor and fencing master to Prince Carlos  
> \- Lady Jennifer - Governess to Lady Ashlyn 
> 
> I still need to figure out how I want Nini and Kourtney to fit in lol


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank Jane Austen for sponsoring this slow-burn period content. You're a real one

With the sound of the bugle and the familiar clopping of hooves, Seb and his brothers leave the barn and go out front to greet the royal carriage. Two white horses draw a golden carriage, with a knight, Sir Bowen and his squire, young Elijah James Caswell leading the way. There are curtains drawn in one window, but Seb can see the Prince through his open window.

He tries to ignore the way that his brunette hair was gently moving with the breeze as the carriage moves and the prince wistfully looks out the window. He has to look presentable and cannot screw up giving the basket of animal products to the crown. Seb looks around at his family, who all seem normal and not at all freaking out in the slightest. The royal family was visiting for the first time in forever, how were they not shaking in their work boots?

The carriage approached the farm and Sir Bowen stands at the ready while the squire helps open the carriage for the family. The king steps out, shortly followed by Prince Carlos. Once their feet graze the ground, the Matthew-Smith family of seven bows before the crown until they are asked to rise. 

“Welcome, your majesties,” Mister Matthew-Smith says, “This is my wife, Eliza, our three sons, Will, George, and Sebastian, and our two daughters, Elena and Mary.”

The king merely lets out an affirmative humph in response. Carlos smiles and offers, “It’s a pleasure to see you all,” to the family which earns him a glare from his father. 

“Would you like to take a turn about the grounds?” Eliza asks warmly. Carlos and Seb steal a small glance at one another, shyly grinning at one another. Seb prays that the king will agree and he will get some quality time with his childhood best friend once more.

“There’s not enough time, we still have to visit the Porters, and you need to pay your respects to Duchess Caswell,” the king says coldly.

Seb weakly smiles and takes a step up to the royal family. E.J. goes to grab his sword, but Carlos gestures to him that all is well. Seb smiles and hands a small basket of goods from their farm to the Prince. “Please take this as a token of our appreciation for what you do for the realm.” Seb tries not to over-analyze how soft Carlos’s fingers were when they brushed his skin and remain completely calm. He knows his complexion is probably betraying him right now, but he can hand off this basket and retain his dignity.

Taking the basket, Carlos says, “Thanks Seb, I —.” He stops himself to correct his speech with all of the formality his station requires, as he feels his father’s stare fall on him. “Thank you, Sebastian, the crown is in your debt.” Seb knows that this was only a formality but he cannot help but feel his heart skip a beat at the prince’s gratitude. 

“Thank you, Mister Matthew-Smith, for your time. We best be going, but we’ll be expecting a good harvest from you come spring,” The king says, as he gestures for E.J. to collect the basket and put it into the carriage. 

“As always, milord,” Mister Matthew-Smith bows to the king and they go to enter the carriage. 

“Father!” Carlos bursts out. Everyone turns to look at the prince, wondering what was so important for him to stop the king and talk out of turn. 

“Yes, Carlos?” His father asks, giving him a pointed look for talking out of turn. Seb notices the prince fidget with his doublet and adjusts his crown. He seems kind of concerned, and Seb really hopes that the prince was doing okay. Did he and his family do anything wrong? Did they offend the royals in any way?

“Fath—your grace, we don’t have a stableboy anymore since Sir Bowen’s son left for the smiths guild. The Matthew-Smiths have a trusted relationship with the kingdom, and I think one of their sons would be a good replacement.”

“I can concede to that,” the King nods, causing all of the tension in the prince’s shoulders to dissipate. “Mister Mathew-Smith, we can provide one of your son’s just compensation and food and lodging if he moves up to the castle with us—”

“He can come to visit though whenever he’s not working,” Carlos adds, trying to make the deal sweeter for the family. 

“Yes, he can Carlos,” he looks to his son disapprovingly, causing Carlos to stiffen up, “We’ll expect a raven with a response by nightfall.” The king turns around, his cloak following behind, and he goes to enter the carriage. Carlos looks down and goes to leave as well. He weakly smiles at Seb and resolves himself to follow his father into the carriage.

“Wait—” Seb says, taking a step forward the carriage. His move prompts the royal family to stop in their tracks, and Squire Caswell puts his hand on his sword. 

The king looks back over his shoulder, “Yes?”

“Sorry, your grace,” Seb says stiffening up at the answer from the king. Knowing he’s got their attention, Seb dramatically bows before the king and looks up to speak with him. “I would like to be your stablehand, your majesty.” He lowers his head down once again, waiting for the response. 

The king looks to his son who nods, trying to hide a small smile from spreading across his face. “Show up at daybreak tomorrow, the stablemaster will show you to your lodgings.”

“Thank you, I am honored to serve the crown,” Seb says, looking up to the king sternly. The second the king goes to leave, Seb beams at Carlos who is smiling giddily at him. They stare at each other, eyes full of hope and excitement for what’s to come. 

However, the moment is not to last, as the king calls, “Come along, Carlos. We have other vassals to attend to.” The prince immediately straightens up, caught off guard by his father. 

Carlos mouths ‘See you tomorrow, Seb’ with a small wave. Seb smiles back at him, a little surprised but pleased all the same that the Prince remembers him.

“Prince Carlos.” His father says sternly.”

“Coming,” He says, as a slight frown comes across his face. He brushes off his doublet and readjusts his crown letting out a heavy sigh as he steps into the carriage. 

Seb watches them go. He hadn’t seen the prince in ten years, and now he would get to see him almost every single day. The years had only made him all the more handsome. The velvet doublet he is wearing flatterers his complexion well, and the delicate gold crown resting softly on his head and brings out the sparkle in his eyes. He is dashing, there is no doubt about it, but there is something off about him. He seemed to be on edge almost throughout their whole visit, with the exception of a moment or two. Whenever his father talked, the crown prince would stiffen and try to compose himself, he didn’t seem free to be himself. 

The stress of being the heir seems to be taking its toll on him, those dark circles under his eyes were the only flaw in his features, not that that was a problem, it doesn’t detract from his beauty at all. But, he wants to help. He has no idea what Carlos is going through, all he knows is that he would be able to help now and could see Carlos more often. Hopefully, the prince would come to visit him whenever he went out riding and he could befriend the lonely prince once more. 

As he smiles to himself when their carriage goes, a body comes and blocks his view. Squire Caswell, stands in front of him, holding his hand to the sword at his belt. He looks down at Seb and pointedly says, “Please keep your distance from him, farmboy. He’s a prince, know your place.” 

The squire mounts his horse and follows the royal party. Seb steps back, letting out a sigh. Sir Bowen’s squire is right, Carlos is the crown prince, and he is just a poor farmer. It had been ten years, right? Carlos probably had other friends by now, and now that he’s the heir he probably has some sort of intended he spends all his time with. Carlos was happy to see him today, but Carlos didn’t see him for what he really was. He’d be working with the horses around the stables, probably all covered in dirt and mud, while Carlos would come to pick up his horse in his bedazzled riding gear and princely looks. He would lose interest soon enough in this simple farm boy who spent years working up an allowance to buy a single vest that looked not even a fraction as regal as Carlos’s. Who was he kidding? Thinking he could befriend the prince. 

Carlos feels a hand squeeze on his shoulder, and looks up to see his brother Will, “Looks like you’ll finally get to be a noble, eh, Sebby.”

“I’m just gonna be a stable hand,” Seb says, looking down at his work boots, with mud splashed on them from feeding the cattle. 

“More than any of us are going to go, I’m proud of you,” George says ruffling his brother’s hair, “And I’m sure your sweet prince will find time for his farmboy.”

“Excuse me?” He asks, looking at his brothers, a bit shocked at their comment.

“You’ll figure it out,” Will says giving him a knowing look. He nudges his younger brother with his elbow and smiles at him, “Come on Seb, you got to say bye to the cattle.” 

Seb smiles at Will and follows his two brothers to the barn. He’s a little sad that he won’t be able to see the animals every morning, but he would trade seeing them every day to see Carlos at least every once in a while. Carlos did smile at him and steal glances at him throughout the visit, maybe, just maybe he would seek him out in the stables. Then they could catch up on the years gone by and make memories for the years to come. Yeah, Prince Carlos wouldn’t give up on him. Right?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Ashlyn and Big Red with my whole heart and the last episode made me so happy as a hoe for Redlyn (still bitter about the cut Seblos scenes they queer baited is with but I have faith in Tim for next season just not the Disney marketing team and execs rip) 
> 
> Have more of my disaster prince son, I love him more than my life itself

”What did you do, Carlos, ” Lady Ashlyn whispers to him as she carves her mutton. 

”I didn't _do_ anything, ” Carlos ribs back to get as he eats. For some _damn_ reason, his father thought it was more important to have _yet another_ dinner at Caswell Manor and disrespect the Matthew-Smith family by not taking a turn about the farm. 

”Well how is that the farm boy you've been telling us all about for years, mind you, is coming to live in the castle then?” Ashlyn says, pointing her fork with a piece of meat on it at him. Carlos gives her a look but the smirk on her face tells him there's no way that he can get out of this one. 

It wasn't _entirely_ his doing that Seb was coming to work up at the castle, _he_ didn’t arrange for Sir Bowen’s son Ricky to go be an apprentice blacksmith, therefore opening a spot for a new stable boy. He was only capitalizing on the available opportunity to help elevate the status of the Matthew-Smith family who had been such good vassals to the kingdom for many years. And maybe, _just maybe_ , he was partial to the youngest son Sebastian, and it worked out that he was the one who volunteered to tend the stables. 

”There was an open position, and as prince, I found it my responsibility to help fill it, ” Carlos sarcastically tells Ashlyn, swirling a goblet of wine in his hand and taking a sip.

“You just want him to seduce you,” she smirks while sipping a glass of her wine. Carlos, on the other hand, loses the wine he was drinking, choking up some on his meal which earns him the glares from his father and the Duke and Duchess Caswell. Carlos shoots daggers at Ashlyn who simply smiles at the blushing prince haughtily.

“That is not why he’s coming, _my lady_. It's also not proper of you to slander your prince,” Carlos says through his teeth as he dabs his face with the napkin to clear up any stray wine. 

“With all due respect, _your highness_ , It’s not proper to want your farm boy and that is not going to stop you, is it?” Ashlyn says as she raises her eyebrows and points her fork at Carlos. Carlos sighs and gives her a look saying, ’You got me there, ’ and goes back to eating his meal, ignoring the giggles coming from his right-hand side.   
  


* * *

Carlos sits on the settee in his chambers trying to read a book on the economic importance of the feudal system to absolutely no avail. He does not know how his tutor, Mister Mazzara, thinks he would be able to be questioned on this book in the morn, considering he just got it a few days ago and was out all day today on the kingdom tour. Even if he does have the time to read it, tonight he has not the patience this evening. How is he supposed to focus on anything else when Seb is arriving in the morning?

He knows it isn’t his duty to assist with the new servants, considering they had a chamberlain for that, but he wants to be there when Seb arrives. It would be completely improper of him to do so, but there is nothing wrong with if he just so happens to wish to take a morning ride about the grounds around the time Seb arrives. 

Carlos moves to his desk and takes out a quill and parchment to writes, “Mister Redonovich II, Please see that once he is settled, the new stableboy prepares my horse for riding tomorrow morning. I wish to take a ride about the grounds.” Carlos grimaces at the formality of his writing as he reads over the folded parchment and applies his wax seal to it. If this was what he would have to go through each day to find his way down to the stables when he was free, he would.

Carlos turns his head when he hears a knock on the door. “Come in,” he says. Red closes the door behind him as he brings in a tray of tea and sets it on the desk next to Carlos. “Perfect timing,” the prince says, handing Red the letter, “Can you please deliver this to your father?” 

“Of course, your —,” he says with a bow. Carlos gives him a pointed look, causing his valet to finish, “— Carlos.” 

Carlos lets out a laugh and ushers Red to sit down upon the settee in his chambers, ”How was life in the castle today, were they all helpless without me?” Carlos dramatically adds as he pours himself a cup of tea. 

”Somehow we got by without your sass, ” Red says with a laugh, his freckles lighting up with his smile, ”I did hear you had an eventful dinner at Duke Caswell’s though.”

“Well your lady love was quite the riot, ” the prince says over the brim of his teacup in a deadpan manner. Carlos’s cool comment finds it's direct opposite in the sudden hotness on Red’s face. 

Red runs a hand through his hair and laughing awkwardly, “I’m still not sure what going on?”

“You and I _both_ know the Lady Caswell is infatuated with you, ” Carlos says with a smile, as he is his tea. ”Besides, your complexion is the same hue as your hair, so methinks I am right.” 

”And what of it?” Red counters as he grabs one of the scones on the tea platter. 

”Nothing of it, I just find it amusing, ” Carlos says with a smile.

”But she's _your_ intended, ” Red urges him. _Oh right._ They were supposed to be wed in a few years' time, but Ashlyn was essentially his sister by now. Ever since Marco died, Ashlyn had replaced his brother as his closest confidant next to his valet. That was the second problem. The first problem, the more pressing of the two, is that Carlos fancies men. He’s suspected this to be the case for a while, considering he never felt anything for the ladies of the court he had been introduced to in all their gowns and finery. The only good thing about talking with the court women is that they shared his opinions on who the most handsome knights were and they could introduce him to their dashing brothers. 

All the boys he meets in court are handsome, don't get him wrong, but they aren’t the boy he wants to be with. He knows it is ridiculous, that he shouldn’t like his childhood best friend in that way, especially one who is a commoner, but he cannot help it. There is no doubt that Seb is just as lovely as he remembers, from their brief yet blissful encounter on the Matthew-Smith farm. 

They said all of a sentence to one another, but Seb’s eyes and smile radiated the same warmth they did all those years, years ago. The moment their fingers brushed, it took everything in his power not to flush deeply and swoon like a damsel in distress. He was a prince, he was in distress, he could handle it, but he didn’t and ended up speaking informally to Seb which earned him a lecture on the way to the Caswell manor. ‘Carlos do not forget your station’ this, and ‘You’re a prince, act like it’ that was all he heard on the carriage ride. Not that it wasn’t worth it to see Seb again, he just wished he had acted properly.

He didn’t know how he was supposed to though, especially when the years had aged the farm boy exceedingly well. He is much more strong and toned than he remembers, probably due to the years of farm work since. Seb’s once perfectly soft fingers are now rougher and more callous by the touch, and Carlos wants nothing more than to thoroughly examine them. Seb is also incredibly dashing and cleaned up well, much more so than he thought was possible. Whereas his family wore their work clothes, Seb dressed up for the crown, his shoes fairly clean aside from the odd spot of mud, and his red embroidered vest did wonders for his body. The deep color also contrasted the boy’s pale skin well and made him all the more attractive. 

“Carlos, are you good? ” Big Red asks, pulling the young prince out of his daydreaming. Carlos flushes a deep red, realizing he must have spaced out leaving his valet exceptionally confused while he reminisced about the boy he fancied. 

”Uh, yes, I’m quite fine Red, completely fine.” Carlos laughs hurriedly, running a hand through his hair, “Why wouldn’t I be?” As he laughs and catches Red raising his eyebrows at him over a scone, Carlos sits up straight in his desk chair and crosses his arms and trying to do everything he can to gain his composure, “You were saying.” 

“Lady Caswell,” Red says giving Carlos a pointed look.

“Like hell, Ashlyn is my intended, I have plans of my own,” Carlos says crossing his arms. 

“Good luck with that and if you need a partner in crime, I’m your guy,” Red says laughing and pointing at himself jokingly.

“Thank you for the confidence, if only all valets were this dutiful,” Carlos says with a chuckle and a smile. He doesn’t know what he would do without Red in all honesty. 

“I live only to serve,” he says with a dramatic bow and a comically large smile on his face radiating boyish charm, “I’m going to deliver the message to my father. Do you need anything else tonight?”

“I think I shall be alright, thank you Red,” Carlos returns the smile. 

“Have a good evening and get some sleep,” Red says with a small wave. 

Carlos laughs and waves off Red who quickly closes the chamber door behind him, “You don’t have to tell me twice, goodnight.”

He isn’t sure he will be able to sleep tonight, how could he when the love of his life was so near. Yes, there is nobody in the kingdom who is better suited to be by his side than Sebastian. The boy practically radiated the beauty if not more of it than the other courtly beauties, and came up in a good home unlike most of them. There isn’t a question, he will woo Seb and make him his intended. 

There was a problem though, his father, not anyone else in the kingdom knew that he was queer, which was damning in and of itself. As the crown prince, it is his duty, as he is oft reminded, to produce an heir. On top of that, the family might be more accepting if he had feelings for a nobleman like Duke Caswell’s son, as opposed to a pauper and farmer like Seb. He doesn’t know how in the world things are going to work out, the odds are stacked against him, but it doesn’t matter. The castle’s newest attendant and the crown prince, they were the definition of star-crossed lovers, but he would not let it stop him. If Seb wanted to be with him, he would stop at nothing to let them be. 

But that was getting ahead of himself, he had not even sat down and had a full conversation with Seb yet, he shouldn’t be planning on how he would slight his family for the love of his simple farm boy. He didn’t even know if Seb felt anything close to what he was feeling for the other boy. He prays that Seb does, but he supposed he won’t know for a long while and it would be very improper of him to even breach the subject when Seb is adjusting to castle life. If he breached the topic, Seb might think he was granted the position solely because Carlos had wanted to make a paramour out of him. 

Carlos lets out a sigh as lays back in his chair, he knows this is going to be a long road ahead of him, but tomorrow would at least be the first step. He would get to see Seb in the morning and would be able to reconnect with him, and that was an improvement over the past ten years. He couldn’t wait to hear his melodic voice once again and see how it’s changed as he’s aged. He can’t wait to be the one to make him beam and laugh again. He can’t wait to be Seb’s best friend again and if anyone tries to stop him, well, he’s the prince and can do what he wants. He is only a few hours away from the beginning of the rest of his life, and he could not think of anyone better than Seb to spend it with. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed more of my shameless royal AU. I promise they’ll actually interact next chapter I just need to drag out the slow burn and pining because these boys are whipped af


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seb is whipped af and has some self-esteem issues because of class differentiation. That's the chapter.

Seb feels the wind as his back as he walks up the winding path to the castle, with a single trunk of his belongings in hand. He knew the castle was a long way from the farm, but he didn't think it would be this tiring to reach it. It was almost dawn, whence he was supposed to arrive, and he hoped that he would not be chastised or turned away for being late. 

It wasn’t his fault that his family had wanted to throw an impromptu celebration of his new position last night, and after that was all said and done, he needed to say goodbye to all of the animals. He was going to miss all of their cows, sheep, and horses, some of them he had raised with his brothers since birth. It felt wrong to leave them all, his father was getting older and had been allocating all of the duties to Will, George, and himself, and with him gone there would be undue pressure on his them. He hopes that his family won’t enlist Elena or Mary’s help so they can continue their schooling with the governess so they can marry into more prosperous houses and improve their lot in life, as opposed to being stuck like his brothers. 

He might have a chance, and it was unfair that it wasn’t given to Will who had been working his whole life to get a chance like this or George who could have been suited to be an educator or a lawyer if he was born into a different house. He was a nobody, he had no special talents or skills and would have been content to stay on the farm his whole life, but he was being given a chance and one that he couldn’t squander. 

Seb knocks on the door to the castle, awaiting a servant to answer, but there is no response. The seconds turn into minutes as the blonde paces back in forth through the mud newly made from yesterday's evening showers. He scans the castle and sees a sole light emanating from the atop the western spire of the castle, and wonders who else could be up at this time.

The thought of Carlos crosses his mind as he imagines the prince being up as well right now, looking down upon his realm or up upon the same sky and stars as he is. _Stop. You’re here to serve the crown, nothing more and nothing less._ He has no time for flights of fancy and courtly love, and even if he does, it’s not as if it would be allowed or welcomed. He is the stableboy and he will stay in his place, that is, if he even has one in the castle.

With each minute alone in front of the looming castle, he feels his courage desert him as the will to turn back overwhelms him. In a twist of fate, the second he turns his back to the castle, he hears the doors open behind him and a voice call, “Where are you going?”

Seb jumps as he hears the voice and turns around to find a small ginger boy there to greet him, who gives him an awkward wave when they make eye contact. ”Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you, I’m looking for the stablemaster.” 

The ginger does a double-take as he examines him from head to toe in deep thought. Seb squirms under the boy’s critical gaze, and his shoulders tense up, feeling as if he's unwelcome here. “So this is _the_ farm boy…” the boy mutters under his breath as a small smile crosses his face. Seb feels the tension dissipate when the boy lets out a small laugh and offers his hand in greeting, “Redonovich III, my friends call me Red,” he says with a smile. He must have sensed the confusion in his eyes when he adds, “Carlos’s valet.” 

“Sebastian Matthew-Smith, but I go by Seb, ” he offers with a weak smile as he shakes Red’s hand. 

“Nice to meet you Seb,” he says, brushing his other hand behind his neck. Red nods his head toward the hallway behind them, “I’ll take you to the servants quarters. Need any help with your trunk?”

Seb nods as Red takes Seb’s trunk from him, stumbling when he first takes hold of it due to the weight. Once, he has his footing, he leads Seb down a long hallway, decorated with portraits of all the former rulers of the kingdom, staring down on him disapprovingly. It’s as if the eyes of the watch him as he goes, making sure he feels unwelcome in the halls that the nobleman walk. Red stops at a door with a small staircase spiraling below the castle to the servants’ quarters. The glow of the torches help him just make out the steps in front of him. 

“Where is the stablemaster, I was told he was to meet me,” Seb asks confused as they descend. 

“Father wished to retire early tonight so I was to pick up his duties,” Red says with a shrug, Besides, the Prince is awake so I’m awake.”

“The prince is awake?” Seb asks, kicking himself the second he lets those four words escape his lips. _Real desperate, Seb. Real desperate. Remember, you’re here to work, not to spend time with Carlos._ Despite the thoughts filling his head, he can’t help himself wondering what the prince is doing up at this hour. 

“Somebody’s pretty eager,” Red says with a laugh, “I honestly don’t think he’ll be able to sleep and would bring him here right now if I wouldn’t get in major trouble.” 

“Why is he up?” Seb raises his eyebrows at Red, not entirely sure if there is something he is missing subtextually. The pointed look he gets from the valet is also not helping. 

Red turns around and points at Seb with both hands for emphasis, before turning back towards the hallway and unlocking a bedroom on his left. _What does the prince being up have anything to do with...him? That’s what Red was implying, right? Was Carlos actually as excited to see him as he was?_ Seb tries to shove the thoughts away as he shuffles into the tiny room.

Red sets down Seb’s trunk next to the bed before moving into the doorway. “Anyways, these are your quarters and father said to let you know Carlos wishes for you to prepare his horse in the morning for riding.” He would be seeing the prince in the morning. He would be seeing _Carlos_ in the morning. He’s honestly not sure he’ll be able to sleep at all either, knowing what was to come in the next few hours. 

“Thank you, Red,” Seb says with a smile as he sits on the edge of his bed and removes his boots. He tries his best to stay grounded in the moment as opposed to trying to plan out what he’ll wear to see the prince. _God, he is hopeless._

“No problem, please let me know if you need anything,” he says with a small bow as he leaves Seb’s chambers, closing the door behind him. The second the door shuts, Seb lies down on his back atop the less than comfortable bed and lets out a deep sigh. He is here, he is _finally_ here. The trials of the journey all wash away with the thought of seeing his prince in a few hours, and that is all that matters.

* * *

Seb is so focused on brushing all of the knots out of Zachary’s mane, that he doesn't notice the crown prince bounding up to him. ”Hey Seb!” Carlos says excitedly causing the unaware farmboy to drop his brush. 

Seb hurriedly turns to the prince and his eyes widen. _Shit. What am I supposed to do?_ Seb hesitates for a moment before dropping to one knee and bowing his head as a show of respect. He hopes he doesn't seem too flustered when the prince arrived, but he's sure his voice will betray him. ”Your grace,” Seb says softly, a little put off by the foreign feeling of calling Carlos by formalities. When they were kids there was no bowing and kowtowing between them, and he hopes that this will not be the norm. It's not that he doesn't respect Carlos’s position, of course, he does, but it just reinforces the difference between them. He and Carlos are of different stations in life and there is nothing he can do about it. Thus, there is no point for him to even hope to earn back the prince’s friendship, let alone tempt himself with a fantasy of anything more than friendship. He would always be below Carlos, someone to be looked down upon, as opposed to an equal like they once were. 

Seb shudders and is pulled out from his thoughts when he feels a gentle pat on his shoulder that is over as soon as it has begun. “None of that Seb,” Carlos says stopped in front of Seb. The stable hand looks up to see a beam spread across his face and a hand outstretched to him. He goes to take Carlos’s hand, but hesitates, knowing he’s probably not worthy, especially considering his hands are covered in dust and dirt. He weakly looks to the prince who smiles at him and gives him a pointed look with his eyebrows. Seb’s hard features soften into a smile as he lets himself grab Carlos’s exceptionally smooth and gentle hand that pulls him up. 

“Please just call me Carlos, at least in private.” the prince offers Seb with a smile, still holding his hand tightly. As he speaks, the prince’s eyes dart all over the place, trying not to make eye contact with the blonde across from him. Seb can just make out a flush on his face, but he’s sure it’s probably just a reaction to how hot it is outside. 

Seb, on the other hand, is pretty positive he is blushing like mad, which unfortunately always stands out against his pale complexion. _Were Carlos’s hands always this soft?_ Their fingers brushed yesterday which Seb still couldn't get his mind off of, but this, this was going to cause him another week’s worth of over-analyzing micro-interactions and searching for meaning. 

“Okay Carlos,” Seb says with a small nod. When the prince hears his name, his smile only widens as he meets Seb’s eyes for what feels like the first time in forever, but in all honesty, it was midday yesterday. They stare at each other and allow themselves to be locked within the other’s gaze, drinking in the features they missed during their short encounter until Zachary’s neigh breaks the comfortable silence. Both boys realize that they had been doing and quickly unlatch their hands and try to make themselves busy to avoid the other’s gaze. 

Carlos walks over to his horse and nuzzles his face up against the horse’s nose. Seb can not help but find himself gazing at the prince, pleasantly surprised by how gentle Carlos is with animals. He just looks so happy and at peace at this moment, with all of the anxieties on his face, yesterday washed clear away. If he can see Carlos like this every day he knows whatever trials are to come are worth it. 

Seb doesn't notice that the prince removes himself from his horse and catches him staring, but he does find himself wondering what is going on in the other boy’s head to make him flush like that. Carlos lets out a sigh before straightening his posture and saying, ”How, uh, is the castle suiting you?” He sees Carlos cringe as he talks and fiddle with the hem of his doublet. He’s not sure why the prince seems so incredibly comfortable but tries to brush the thoughts aside that it has something to do with him. 

”Very well, milord, ” Seb says bowing his head. He doesn't know what he's even supposed to or allowed to say to the prince. This was the most they’d talked since they were six. _What do noblemen talk about?_ ”How was the rest of your royal visit, was the, uh, Caswell Manor to your liking?” Seb winces a bit as he talks, praying it doesn't come out too cringy or insincere, but the growing dismay on the prince’s face tells him otherwise. He sees the prince clench his fist and when he sees Carlos unclench it, he catches a storm of emotions overtake his prince. 

”For God’s sake Seb we played in the mud together every weekend when we were kids. We can skip the nonsensical pleasantries,” Carlos says as he pours his heart out to the boy next to him. Seb is surprised by the angry tone in his outburst at first, but slowly realizes the utter desperation in the prince’s voice. 

His expression must seem incredibly confused as Carlos, upon looking at him, seems to try and regain some of his composure. 

”I’m sorry for my outburst, I just cannot take things here anymore,” he says with a sigh as he leans up against one of the stable posts. The prince cannot bear to meet his eyes, and speaks to the hay and dirt below him, ”Everyone is so insufferably inauthentic with me, and I have no friends here to call my own other than my valet and my intended.”

Seb realizes that this must be part of the reason Carlos brought him here, it has to be. He knew something was wrong when he sensed Carlos’s anxiety yesterday and he thinks he’s starting to understand. He had no idea that the prince had been so desperate for real friendships, and if he did know, Seb would have come here the second he heard. Seb hopes that he’ll be able to provide Carlos with the companionship he desires, and in doing so tries to push the idea of Carlos’s intended out of his mind. 

Carlos raises his eyes from the ground and meets Seb’s gaze and urgently says, ”I don't want you to treat me that way too because of our titles. We were best friends once, unburdened by the rules of interactions, and I, um, would very much like to be that again, if you do.” Carlos shyly smiles at the boy across from him, his fragile eyes so full of hope. Seb doesn’t know what the prince sees in him, and why he sees anything at all, but he tells himself he won’t question it and let himself have this moment. 

Seb hesitantly takes a step toward the prince and takes both of his hands into his and nods with a huge smile spreading across his face. ”I’d like to as well, um, Carlos, ” Seb says shyly as he looks deeply into the prince’s eyes, before having to pull away due to impropriety. The layer of glass surrounding Carlos seems to dissipate, as the prince allows himself to authentically smile, without fear or apprehension. The prince pulls his hands away from Seb’s, as he turns back to his horse, lightly squealing and desperately trying to hide the flush on his face. Seb is grateful that Carlos isn’t looking at him because he too is flushing redder than the ginger valet. He holds in the scream he would have let out if it wasn’t seven in the morning and he would frighten the guard and tries to regain his composure. 

Carlos whips his head back around to look at Seb, standing upright with his perfect regal posture. He avoids Seb’s gaze and stares at the pole behind him and firmly states, “Come riding with me.” 

“Excuse me?” Seb says, a bit shocked at the command coming from the blushing prince. _Did he feel the same way? He couldn’t. Not towards him of all people._

Carlos clears his throat before looking into Seb’s eyes. He pours his heart out as he asks, “Sebastian, would you do me to pleasure of coming riding with me this morning?” 

Seb wants to say yes, he wants to with all his heart, but he knows he’s not meant to. He surely would never be allowed to associate with the prince in such a way, so he softly asks, “Won’t I get in trouble?” He hopes that will be enough for Carlos to understand why he would need to refuse him, no matter how much it pains him.

“I’m the prince, _honey_ , they’ll let me do whatever I want,” Carlos says with a wink as he mounts Zachary. Seb feels his soul depart him and move into another plane of existence. The prince just winked at him _and_ used a term of endearment with him. The prince of the realm, called him, _Sebastian-Matthew Smith,_ a humble farm boy, ‘honey.’ He is _not_ okay. He probably never will be again. In all of a moment, he forgets his station, he forgets his shameful clothing, he forgets everything and will do anything for the boy in front of him, beaming down at him atop his steed. He doesn’t care if he gets sent home later today, because he could never deny the prince when he talks to him and looks at him the way that he is. 

Besides, who was he to refuse a royal order. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to me so much shorter than it was and it just got real gay real fast. Thank you for reading this garbage content that is in all honesty just a Sybil and Branson Downton Abbey Fix-It Fic with Seblos


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this flirting? I honestly don’t know guys, I’m too aroace for this.

They actually will not let him do what he wants, much to Carlos’s dismay. That is a lesson roughly he has learned all too well since this morning. Now he has to look over the seventh map of the kingdom this hour, after already studying topography, arable land distribution, strategic military locations, and every other godforsaken thing about their holdings. 

It isn’t fair that he’s grounded, it’s not like Mister Mazzara is even his father, he’s just his dumb tutor that cares too much about the flow of the kingdom’s income and how building the aqueducts is coming along because he is lonely. He doesn’t think this man has any friends, how could he? Ashlyn hangs out with him sometimes for astronomy lessons that her governess Miss Jennifer doesn’t teach, but that’s because space is cool, not Benjamin Mazzara. 

He didn’t mean to be three hours late to his lesson, time just ended up escaping him when he was out riding with Seb. It was as if time had stopped when it was just the two of them, him riding Zachary and Seb riding his late brother’s horse, Timothy. He honestly was never partial of riding, it was always his older brother’s thing and he hated the melancholic air of riding alone, but with Seb working at the stables he was its biggest aficionado. He forgot how freeing it is to feel the wind racing through his hair, and even more so his fun it was to ride with someone by his side. He never pegged Seb for a competitive person, but when Carlos challenged him to race to the brook, he wasn’t ready to lose so terribly. 

* * *

Seb stands by his horse with a beam on his face as Carlos slowly trots up, completely out of breath. He wants to wipe the smirk off of the blonde’s face, but he knows it’s better to accept his defeat and see the other boy glow like this. 

“I hardly believe that was fair,” Carlos says as he dismounts his horse and straightens the crown atop his head. 

Seb rolls his eyes as he ties his horse to the tree, “Hey, you challenged  _ me  _ and  _ someone _ didn’t tell me he hasn’t been riding in months.” Seb throws him a knowing look which only makes the flustered prince flush more. Carlos lets out a pout as he goes to tie up his horse, fully confident he knows what he’s doing. That is until he remembers he’s never had to do this before is his life. He tries to turn his back to hide this fact from Seb as he tries to tie a secure knot, but it keeps on slipping. 

“Never tied up a horse,  _ your highness _ ?” Seb jeers dramatically with a flourishing bow and a dorky grin on his face. Carlos tries to keep a straight face and ignore the boy, but the second the two meet eyes he loses his composure and starts laughing. “Let me show you, ” Seb says, taking the lead line out of the prince’s hands. 

Carlos is pretty sure that he missed the entire lesson and prays that Seb will not make him perform the task because the whole time he’s transfixed by the determined look on Seb’s face as he ties up the lead line, and how the sunlight peeking through the trees makes is surrounding Seb’s frame with a halo effect, deserving of the angel in front of him. Up close he can really take in just how toned the other boy is, and it was definitely an image that he would have to mentally save for his lessons later.  _ Did Seb wear that semi-translucent white dress shirt on purpose, because he has some questions?  _

__ “Got it?” Seb asks turning his head away from the not and back toward Carlos. Carlos quickly finds that he has been moving closer to the other boy as Seb almost hits him when he turns around and their faces are closer together than two  _ completely _ platonic riding companions’ should be. Their proximity allows him to make out all of the hues in Seb’s piercing eyes, and he to make out the shape of —  _ Stop. Now.  _

Backing up, the prince nods furiously with a flush on his face, “Yeah, got it. Thanks.” Carlos turns away from the other boy unfastens his doublet and sets in next to the horse’s tack. He gently removes his crown and shoes, taking the time to feel his toes against in the soft grass. He dips his feet into the water and sits down, letting the rush of cool water beat up against his feet. 

“I didn't know princes know how to undress themselves, ” Seb says with a little smirk on his face and Carlos decides he's had enough of the stableboy’s sass for one day. Carlos kicks up some water up at Seb and showers cool droplets all over the other boy. Seb looks at the prince in shock, which Carlos cannot determine is tea or feigned. He doesn't have enough time to before he's drenched from head to toe from Seb splashing the water back at him with a little too much force.

After wiping his eyes, he looks up to see the other boy beaming back at him with a smile and a hand extended out to help him up. As much as Carlos appreciates the kind gesture, he pulls Seb down towards him into the spring, soaking him. He looks up to Carlos with a pout, causing him the prince to giggle. 

Seb, not letting the other boy have the last word, shakes the water off of him like a dog all over Carlos before happily plopping down next to the prince and laying down in the soft, yet damp grass. “I’ve missed this,” Seb says staring up at the sky peeking through the trees towering above them. Carlos smiles down at the boy next to him, whose eyes are closed and is in a state of complete peace. There is a soft smile stretched across his face and Carlos prays that the moment will never end. 

He knows it has to, and sooner than later he was going to have to go to his lessons with Mr. Mazzara and another court dinner with the Caswells and the Bowens, and he’d have to be the prince again. He doesn’t want to be the prince, he just wants to be a guy. He doesn’t want rules and regulations he just wants to live and experience the world in his own time with the people he loves. With Seb, he’s able to be and do just that and he was going to cherish every moment he can get. 

Carlos lies down next to Seb and looks up at the same sky and says, “Yeah, I do too,” under his breath before he’s lulled to sleep.

* * *

The words, “Wake up, Sleeping Beauty,” bring Carlos back to reality as he opens his eyes and sees bright blue ones staring back at him. 

“Seb?” He asks, in confusion as his eyes readjust to the setting around him. Carlos yawns as he gently sits up and sees the other boy, hair mussed smiling back at him. 

“That’s me,” the other boy says with a smile before looking at Carlos’s hair curiously, “You’ve got some —” He reaches for Carlos’s hair, and Carlos knows it’s proper of him to not lean in towards Seb, but cannot help himself. Seb swats some leaves out of the prince’s hair and gives Carlos’s head a gentle pat when he’s done. Feeling the loss of the other boy’s touch, Carlos looks up and sees the boy across from him entirely too proud of himself, and Carlos can’t help but feel his heart leap. 

Carlos raises his eyebrows at the boy and corrects his posture. “So, am I ready for court?” Carlos sarcastically asks earning a giggle from Seb. The other boy nods before running off, and Carlos follows the boy with his eyes, wondering where the twinkle in Seb’s eyes is coming from. 

He cannot help but feel at ease and at awe, every moment he spends around Seb, who is such an enigma to him, yet is exactly how Carlos remembers him. He wants to learn what every twinkle, smirk, and pout of Seb’s means, and part of him realizes he’s starting to.

What he doesn’t see coming is the delicate press of a crown on his head from behind. Carlos looks back and sees Seb staring down at him beaming, “Now you’re ready for court.” Carlos tries to playfully swat the other boy who smugly scurries away from him. Carlos can’t help but smile into his sigh as he gets up from the stream. 

As he takes in his surroundings he realizes the long shadows trailing behind the two of them.  _ Fuck. He is late for his lesson. He is really late for his lesson.  _

__ Carlos practically trips over his feet to go put on his shoes and his doublet as Seb eyes him confusedly, “What’s the hurry?” 

“I must have dozed off and I’m  _ really  _ late for my geography lesson,” he says as he frantically tries to lace up his boots, which he is failing to remember how to lace up.  _ You shouldn’t have been up all night pining, you dumbass.  _ He manages to fasten them in some manner which is good enough before fiddling with the buttons on his doublet, trying to fasten them at record speed. 

“Son of a birch tree,” Seb fumbles out as he hurriedly puts on his shoes and tries to tack up both of the horses as fast as he can, “We’ll get you back soon, I promise.” He throws the flustered prince a soft smile and that’s all he needs to assure himself with the fact that everything is going to be okay. 

* * *

Everything did not end up okay. He would have appreciated if Mister Mazzara didn’t end up lecturing him in front of Seb, getting yelled at by your tutor in front of the object of your affection isn’t exactly very becoming. When he was forced to leave Seb looked so nervous, and Carlos desperately hopes that Seb doesn’t feel responsible for his foolery. He could see the other boy’s heart fall when he left, and it was an expression he hopes he never has to see again. He will see Seb, as soon as he gets out of this redundant lesson and can sneak away from his guard dog, Elijah James Caswell. 

Mr. Mazzara asks, pouring over the kingdom map and placing the representative miniatures at the corresponding holdings. “Where do you think the best location to construct another fort is? Your father—” 

“On the hill with ground defense in mind or along the coast with naval defense in mind,” Carlos says in a monotone voice before kicking his heels up on the table and crossing his arms, “Look, why am I being punished for spending for Seb, just last week you lectured me about how it isn’t proper for me to have no friends of my own age outside of my valet and my intended. It’s a little hypocritical if you ask me,” 

Mister Mazzara rubs the bridge of his nose in frustration and lets out a sigh. “You were out gallivanting with the new stableboy and were  _ three _ hours late to your lesson. I think that is more than enough justification,  _ your grace. _ ”

Carlos retorts, “Just because you don’t like him —” 

“I don’t like  _ anyone  _ who interferes with my lessons, Carlos,” He stares the prince down as he talks to Carlos as if he’s speaking the obvious, “I’m not singling out your friend here. You are the crown prince, so can you please start acting like it?” After finishing, he sighs and blankly looks down upon the map-covered table in front of him. 

Carlos goes to say something before Mister Mazzara holds a finger up to quiet him. He doesn’t look at the prince as he says, “We’ll finish this tomorrow. Elijah James will escort you to your chambers and your valet will bring you dinner in your guarded chambers this evening.”

“But —” Carlos offers, praying he can catch some sort of break.

“But nothing, you’re not to leave your chambers until you've processed why you're in the wrong here. Now, can you please leave me to my work.” Carlos only mumbles an affirmative response under his breath as he leaves his distressed tutor’s study. He's met with his lesser favorite of the Caswells who escorts him to his chambers in awkward silence. 

At least he wouldn’t have to go to dinner and face his father’s anger for what he’d done and get some time to himself. He could always go to sleep early if that morning nap was any indication of how much he desperately needed rest. He won't do so though without first writing a letter to Seb to apologize for cutting their morning short and having been so unbecoming. He also wants to add in something about how lovely of a time he had, but fears that might be overstepping. He hopes that promising to see Seb again in writing will convey that he did indeed have a memorable time to the other boy. 

What he does know is that the second he gets free of the squire’s watchful eyes and the pressures of his tutor, he will find Seb, because that boy makes his exceptionally dull life brighter and is the reason he's alright with facing this insensible punishment. Any punishment is worth bearing if he can spend a fraction of his life alongside Seb and feel like just another boy and not the heir of all of this. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna be real after like two more chapters I have no idea where this is going and life is a time so updates might be getting slower. I'm just like how do I plot??   
> Thank you all for reading and sticking with this disaster AU, I appreciate all of you.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in: This chapter is me abusing my love of class differentiated romance and the guilt that comes with them and Hamilton’s comma sexting

_ I really screwed up this time, didn’t I?  _ Seb lies awake on his bed, blankly staring up at the ceiling. He got Carlos in trouble, big trouble, to the point where the prince is being followed around by a squire at all times to make sure he doesn’t sneak out, and it’s all his fault. Maybe he could just disappear, he had only been here for a day, so it’s not like anyone would notice he was gone right? 

Carlos’s tutor was  _ furious _ when the two of them came back still damp from the spring and their clothing missed from napping and rushing to get back to the castle. He wishes the prince would have told him that he had morning lessons, he wouldn’t have taken the boy so far out into the grounds and would have woken him up sooner. 

He didn’t want to wake the sleeping prince, of course, especially upon waking up with Carlos’s arm draped across him. The prince must have found his way to him in his sleep, and he wasn't complaining, but he certainly was surprised. Up close he could trace every detail of the prince’s handsome face with his eyes and commit it to memory. He found himself being drawn to Carlos’s soft lips one too many times, wondering what it would be like to —  _ Stop. He is your prince and future king.  _

Seb repeats over and over in his head that Carlos holding him in his sleep must have not meant anything, despite the contented smile on Carlos’s face telling him otherwise. But the prince would have never done that intentionally, that enough he knows. 

When they woke up he had to find a way to wiggle his way out of the prince’s embrace without waking him up was no easy task, especially when the same prince was murmuring sweet nothings to someone in his sleep. He would have stayed there all day if the horses weren't getting antsy about being stuck in the same place without food. After petting the horses to calm their nerves, he had to reluctantly wake up the sleeping prince, whom he didn’t want to disturb.

He wishes that he didn’t have to wake Carlos from that peace and end their rendezvous on the grounds, but they both had to come back to reality at some point. Carlos was a prince, the crown prince at that, and well he was Seb, a nobody from a poor farm on the outskirts of town. They can pretend they are equal all they want in private, but the second that someone else enters the equation the facade comes crashing down. He hates it, wishes he was highborn so he had a fraction of a shot to interact with Carlos without it being seen as shameful and out of turn. But he’s just Seb, and when you’re infatuated with the heir to the land, just Seb is not a good person to be. 

Seb runs his hands through his hair and lets out a groan before being stirred by a knocking at his chamber door. 

“Are you in here, Seb?” He Hears from outside the door, causing him to sit up straight in his bed. He makes out the voice to be Carlos’s valet and quickly brushes down his night clothes to look presentable. 

“Hey Red, what’s going on?” He calls back to Red as he puts on his work boots before answering the door. He opens the door to see Red slightly confused as to not have a door between them.

“Uh hi —,” he says giving a small wave before telling Seb, “Lady Caswell and her governess wish to have their horses prepped for riding.” Lady Caswell, why does he know her name?  _ Right _ .  _ She’s Carlos’s intended.  _ As disheartening as that maybe, if she is at court today, Carlos must be, and maybe they would be riding together and he could catch a glimpse at the prince, praying that Carlos isn’t upset with him. 

“Will his grace be needing his horse tacked as well?” He asks Red, a little too hopefully. He grimaces when he realizes how desperate he must sound. 

“Seb, you’ve had a romantic rendezvous with him, you can just call him Carlos,” Red says raising his eyebrows at Seb, whose face is turning a very deep shade of red. 

“How do you —” Seb tries to save himself with, knowing he’s already lost his dignity. 

“Our mutual friend spares  _ no  _ detail,” Red says with a small chuckle.  _ Did Carlos tell Red everything? And what made Red think it was romantic and not just an escapade between two friends? Did Carlos want it to be romantic? _ Seb is quickly pulled from his thoughts by Red, who is still smiling after catching him off-guard, “And no, the prince is confined to his chambers until further notice.” 

“Oh,” Seb says, his face falling.  _ Right. That is his fault for not keeping better track of the time and for taking advantage of the prince’s time.  _

“Can you have the horses prepared shortly, I need to entertain milady Ashlyn?” Red says, snapping Seb back into reality. 

“Right away,” Seb says with a nod, as Big Red leaves to quickly follow the voice of a calling girl who he can only assume is Lady Ashlyn Caswell. He wonders what is so great about her anyway that she gets to be the prince’s intended.

* * *

Seb combs out the tail of one of the horses when he hears a girl from behind him call, “So you’re the farm boy that Carlos adores so much.” He stops dead in his tracks to see Lady Ashlyn Caswell pointing at him seriously before breaking out into laughter. She runs over and gives Seb a hug, which startles him, “I’ve heard  _ so  _ much about you, I’m Ashlyn, you can call me Ash.”

When she pulls away, Seb looks completely dumbfounded and honestly isn’t sure if he’s dreaming right now or if she is just  _ this  _ much, “Don’t look at me like that I know  _ all _ about you and the royal mess, Sebby.” She raises her eyebrows and wags one of her fingers at Seb.  _ This is an interesting turn of events, to say the least.  _

__ “Ash, stop teasing the poor boy!” Red says bumbling in, completely out of breath.

“What? I’m only speaking the truth,” she throws back to the other boy with her hands on her hips , who runs up next to her. Red raises his eyes at Ashlyn. She points her finger out at him and shoots daggers at him, “Do you want to see that fopdoodle’s letter. Don’t cross me.”  _ Carlos’s letter? _

Red gently pushes Ashlyn’s pointed hand downwards and gives it a small squeeze the young noblewoman to blush and turn away from him, “I did bring it to you, milady.” With a dopey grin on his face, Red tries to catch a glimpse of Ashlyn’s flustered fact that she’s trying to hide from him. 

Seb looks around and notices that Ashlyn’s governess is running late, and she's been unchaperoned for some time which is odd for a lady of her rank, “Red said your governess is going with you milady?”

“ _ You’re _ questioning  _ me _ about being out unchaperoned?” She asks with a pointed gaze at Seb, which makes Red next to her laugh. She lights up when she sees the valet’s face and they lock eyes. She quickly pulls her blushing gaze away and turns back to Seb, trying to maintain composure,“But yes, she’s on her way, Mister Mazzara was holding her up.” 

__ Seb quickly notices this is why Ashlyn doesn’t care about Carlos in the way one would expect. She talks about the prince as if he was her annoying older brother and Seb, for all his obliviousness, could see that she and Red were close, and from the looks of it infatuated with each other. Their playful banter reminded him of his time yesterday with Carlos, but only it doesn’t because Carlos couldn’t be infatuated with him. Especially after Seb humiliated the prince, who deserved someone highborn like Ashlyn who wouldn’t get him into trouble.

* * *

Seb is more than surprised when he opens his unlocked chambers to find Carlos sitting in  _ his _ bedchamber smugly. He can barely muster out a shocked, “Carlos? I thought you were —”

Carlos looks at Seb with a shit-eating grin plastered on his face, “Under lock and key? Yes. Ashlyn distracted her cousin for me, so I could slip out and see you for a few moments.” Carlos, looking incredibly proud with himself, lounges back in Seb’s chair, twirling around the castle’s master key in between his fingers.  _ So much for Ashlyn not getting Carlos into trouble.  _

Seb is honestly surprised that Carlos is even here with him and went through the effort of coordinating an escape to see  _ him _ of all people, “You’re not? You’re not mad at me?”

Carlos cocks his head and looks at Seb with wide eyes, “Why would I be mad at you, honey? You did nothing wrong.” He smiles at Seb, who is still processing that the boy he is infatuated with isn’t mad at him, and called him ‘honey’  _ again.  _ This is the  _ second  _ time Carlos has dropped this one on him, both times being incredibly charming and handsome, and he’s not sure his heart can take it anymore. Of course, Carlos would also charm his way into his bedchamber, which isn’t exactly a proper place for him to be. They could have met  _ anywhere _ for an apology. 

“But—” he tries to counter the prince, to explain why he’s in the wrong, but the prince will not let him.

Carlos stomps up to Seb with his arms crossed in a pout, “But nothing, all is forgiven. Please stop worrying.” Seb things that his face reads that he is listening, but the anxious thoughts clearly written on his face that betray him. Carlos steps in closer to Seb’s space bubble and boops him on the nose, “And that, my darling boy, is a royal order.” 

“And what if I respectfully disagree, my sweet prince,” Seb, feeling slightly emboldened by the banter, retorts taking a step closer to Carlos so that their noses are practically touching. He can feel Carlos’s breath on his face and his eyes drift down to the prince’s soft lips that he was tracing over and over with his eyes only the day before. 

He notices the prince’s eyes flutter shut, awaiting something, but Seb doesn't notice. All he sees when his gaze drifts upward is the crown on Carlos’s head.  _ You can’t have this. You’re not allowed to have this.  _

__ Seb takes a step back and lets out a small cough, which quickly pulls Carlos out of whatever trance he is in. Carlos does a double-take at Seb who is solemnly staring at the floor, perhaps believing he dreamed up whatever moment the two of them almost had. Seb looks back at Carlos as the flustered prince tries to avoid his gaze. 

The prince flattens his doublet and takes a letter out of his pocket, shoving it into Seb’s hands. “This is for you, I'm sorry I didn't get it to you sooner, I just didn't know what to say and I forgot to give it to Red last night. I'll be going now, goodnight Sebastian.” Carlos bows as he exits Seb’s bedchamber in a hurry with a deep flush on his face. Seb can hear the pounds of his footsteps run on the stairs and listens until he can’t hear them anymore. 

Seb throws himself down on his bed, fanning himself with the letter. He almost let his emotions get the best of him and kissed the prince of the realm. He almost ruined the boy he respected and would never wish to harm. The prince is practically engaged and he almost stole the other boy’s first kiss and could have started a whole slew of problems for them.

They could  _ never _ be together. Carlos would be shamed and disreputed for loving a commoner, and a boy no less, while he would be sent away from the castle never to see Carlos again in case rumors would stir. He couldn’t do that to the two of them, not because of some silly affections he harbored for the prince which tried to tempt him into sin. 

But, despite this, he still cannot atop himself from opening the letter, knowing it will only do him more harm than good. 

> _ My dearest, Sebastian,  _
> 
> _ Thank you for riding with me yesterday morn, it was absolutely lovely. I am terribly sorry for having cut our morning together short, and for being so unbecoming. I apologize for my tutor’s anger with you, and please know that this punishment is no fault but my own. I don’t want you worrying yourself on my behalf. I’ll surely find a way to sneak off and be with you soon, my guard is not exactly the brightest. I cannot wait to see you again.  _
> 
> _ Yours Always, _
> 
> _ Carlos  _

There’s a comma after the word dear, did Carlos intend this?  _ It has to be a slip of the quill right?  _ The prince would never, could never, harbor any affection for him, yet here he is changing a mere greeting into a term of endearment. Carlos understood the implications of what would happen if anything happened between them, right? The thought of being dear to the prince was already too much to fathom, and this certainly isn’t helping. He isn’t even just dear, he’s  _ dearest _ , which is a whole new point of analysis that he’s sure he’ll self-combust over if he tries to analyze it for a second longer. Yet, ever the masochist, he pours over the letter trying to decipher if that one dumb stroke was mistaken or meaningful. Did Carlos intend to drive him mad with thoughts of him and analyzing every interaction they had together, because it seems like it, and it’s certainly working. He sighs to himself thinking of his dearest, Carlos.  _ No. Seb, you need to know your place. This is an accident and you are overreacting.  _

But what did ‘Yours Always’ mean? ’Yours’ was a common enough closing to most letters, but the ’Always’ was throwing him off. Does Carlos sign off letters like this to everyone? He had to, right? Yours Always is like the equivalent to ’Faithfully’ which is totally platonic, but it also sounds like it could be used none-platonically.  _ Not that Carlos would have meant it that way, of course. _

He tries to tell himself that it's just a letter, but he still ends up falling asleep with it clutched to his chest, lovingly. While his heart and mind are at war, as he nods off, his thoughts drift off to the possibility of receiving letters with closings such as ‘All my love’ and ‘Yours and only yours’ from the prince, which makes his heart skip a beat and him smile in his sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What are you talking about I platonically call my not-crush ‘honey’ , ‘my darling boy’ and ‘my sweet prince all the time’


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The contractually obligated Mazzara POV Chapter that is essentially just the ‘Learn to Do It (Reprise) scene from Anastasia when Anya and Dimitri dance on the boat and Mazzara is just Vlad 
> 
> Also thanks to my absolute fave and best friend/writing partner Be_brave13 for that comment you left on Chapter 3 that inspired some of this scene. I love and miss you with my whole heart, come back now so we can write Bop to the Top
> 
> Also, lowkey inspired by the AmazingTomHollandisnotonfire's Mazzara POV fic which is E V E R Y T H I N G. G O R E A D I T.

If everything he owns is not all compiled into this one soon which would be a disaster to move, Mister Mazzara would have switched the location of the prince’s classroom. Of all the places to have a window to the stables, why did it have to be this one? Carlos, of course, was daydreaming _all_ of the time now in his lessons, and every other minute he catches the boy looking out the window trying to see if the stable boy would walk by. 

He points his teaching stick back at the map, trying to catch the prince’s attention, “Maybe if you spent less time in fantasyland, you would know a thing or two about your real realm, Carlos.” Carlos, still off somewhere else is not responsive. _This is pointless._

Carlos has always been a terribly distracted student, there is no doubt about it. Carlos was typically bored in his lessons and doing anything he could to not pay attention and be a good royal, ever since his brother passed. It is clear Carlos doesn’t want the life put in front of him, which makes it extremely difficult to be the one man who is charged with training the prince for his unwanted future. But this, this is different. Carlos isn’t trying to act inattentive, it just so happens that his attention is elsewhere, on that stable boy he brought to the castle that made him late for his lessons a few days past. He has nothing against the Matthew-Smith boy, other than the fact he is the biggest obstacle in the way of getting Carlos’s attention. The boy seems sweet enough, but if he continues to interfere with Carlos’s lessons he might become a bad influence on the prince, which is unfavorable. 

Mister Mazzara slaps a hand down on the desk in front of Carlos who jumps in his seat and looks up at him, blinking owlishly. He raises an eyebrow at the young prince who sheepishly slouches into his seat, “Yes, the map, of my actual realm. There is good, um, arable land here.” 

He isn’t _entirely_ wrong, and he’s surprised the prince came up this a logically sound sentence if he’s being completely honest. However, he will not settle for luck. “And where is this arable land, young man.” He says, challenging the prince, whose eyes widen at the question. 

The prince looks up at him guiltily, hoping for an answer to the question, and he won’t budge. _Got him._ Carlos gulps and looks down at the map in front of him, pouring over it for some sort of sign. Mister Mazzara smirks as he checks the timepiece as the prince wracks his brain for an answer and the seconds quickly pass by. The tutor goes to grab a book from the cases when he hears the prince shout, “I’ve got it!” a little too excitedly.

Mister Mazzara stops in his tracks and turns around looking back at the prince. “Yes?,” He hesitates to ask, confused at to where this spurt of knowledge is coming from. 

“Here,” he says pointing to the farmland near the Salazar-Roberts grain farm. “The Salazar-Roberts’ land is arable, and the same with where the tenants of Caswell Manor are. The only land in this rural region that isn’t suitable for agriculture is the area surrounding the Matthew-Smith farm, which is why the family raises domesticated animals and sells animal products.”

“That… is correct?” Mister Mazzara responds, his answer sounding more like a question. Carlos smugly looks at him with a shit-eating grin stretched across his face. Carlos clearly knows he’s won and won’t let his tutor forget that. 

That was a much more eloquent and fleshed out answer than he would have ever expected from the prince in his inattention. He is genuinely shocked. He doesn’t even recall even telling Carlos about the soil deficiencies where the Matthew-Smith farm, town, and main farmer’s market are. “I don’t recall what lesson we discussed soil deficiencies in milord, where did you read up on it?” 

“ _Me_ ? _Reading_?” He scoffs and raises his eyebrows at Mister Mazzara, “No. Seb was actually telling me about why his family raises animals and they do not grow crops. Look, even though I’m late for my lessons I’m still learning valuable information.” Carlos looks at him pointedly and Mister Mazzara cannot help but run his hands through his hair in defeat. 

Could it be Carlos is _learning_ about the agrarian component of their realm from the farm boy, _by choice_? Maybe Seb was a good influence on the prince, despite the unfortunate side-effects like tardiness, as much as he hates to admit it. He hasn’t seen the prince genuinely smile in years and Seb seems to be his first true friend other than Lady Caswell and his valet. Instead of a frown on his face when he arrived at lessons, he now looked as if he has his head in the clouds all of the time. He’s strangely happy for the prince, even if it does make his job more difficult.

He gathers his composure and talks to the prince matter of factly, “Well, I’m glad the young Mister Matthew-Smith could be of help to you, Carlos. But he cannot teach you everything.” Carlos rolls his eyes and the tutor catches the boy trying to steal a glimpse out the window again. “Well, that’s enough of this for today, but you do have your dancing lessons after midday meal today.” 

Carlos groans and looks back at his tutor, “Do I have to go? Ashlyn is fun to dance with, but it is the fourth time this week, and if I have a broken foot by the ball, it’s _your_ fault.” 

Mister Mazzara pinches the bridge of his nose. _Where is the Carlos that talked to him a minute ago and was an eloquent scholar and not a pain in the ass?_ “You are to address her as Lady Caswell, and yes you do have to go. However, Lady Caswell is attending the Duchess Caswell’s high tea this afternoon, so she will not be in attendance.”

“Well, I’m not dancing with you then am I?” He asks sarcastically as he fiddles with a quill, lounging back in his chair. _Shoot. He doesn’t have a dancing partner for the prince. Or does he?_

_Fine._

“If you're quiet about it, young man, you can bring along that _friend_ of yours instead,” He shoots Carlos a pointed look and he watches the prince’s eyes widen and face flush, “Let’s see what else Mister Matthew-Smith can teach you?” 

Two can play at this game. If the only surefire way to get the prince to show up to things and pay attention to things is Seb, well, he is going to use every weapon in his arsenal to ensure the young menace gets educated. There is no harm in letting the two of them in the same room if it means Carlos is not spending all of his time looking for Seb since the boy will be present. 

* * *

_Well, this backfired_ _much less than anticipated._ He hadn’t expected Seb to know _anything_ about waltzing, but apparently Seb had practiced a lot with his sisters at home in their barn. So much so, that he is able to keep up with Carlos’s lead so much more so than Lady Caswell even could. From across the room, he can hear the two of them laugh with one another as they talk, whether that be apologies for missteps or silly vocalizations. At one point Seb almost loses his footing and falls, but the prince is there to catch him with a dopey rin on his face. It is a lovely change from the arguing as Ashlyn and Carlos typically banter like siblings during dance lessons, and it is all the more peaceful. 

After a short while, he was able to step aside and let them do their thing without guidance or complaint. The two boys fall so perfectly in step with one another and for once, Carlos’s constant affixation with Seb is doing him some good during lessons. At this point, the hardest thing for him to do will be to get his attention away from Seb, but he’s not sure he even needs to. They seemed to know everything they needed to learn and were just enjoying this moment, and he could enjoy the silence, for once. 

“Wow Benjamin, I didn’t think you would be encouraging this after your hissy fit yesterday,” he hears a voice call from behind him. _He spoke too soon_. He turns and sees Miss Jennifer, Lady Caswell’s governess, looking at him with her eyebrows raised. 

He doesn’t give her the courtesy of eye contact as he watches the two boys in front of him waltz across the ballroom floor, “I contain multitudes, Jennifer. The prince has seen enough suffering, he doesn't deserve any more.” The prince is beaming, and he’s laughing even? Not in his wry, sarcastic manner, but genuinely giggling again. Mister Mazzara had lost Carlos, the real Carlos, the second his brother died, but he is getting to see glimpses of that boy again, right here and right now. 

He feels a light nudge in his side as Miss Jenn steps up next to him with a soft smile on her face, “Who would think _you_ have a soft spot in your cold heart for the prince.” He looks at her pointedly, trying to hide the truth that they both know is plain as day.

“I’ve known him since he was born. He’s like a son to me, an annoying and obstinate son.” He says matter of factly, trying to avoid the other teacher’s teasing smile. He waits for her to have the last word, but she doesn’t, and the two of them watch the prince and his pauper dance in the comfortable silence of ¾ time. 

He watches the two of them slowly spin around in the center of the room, with large smiles on their face as the two boys move closer and closer to one another. They seem as if they are about to kiss before Seb steps away from Carlos. The blonde boy quickly bows to the prince and leaves the ballroom in a hurry with a deep flush of embarrassment and guilt on his face. 

Carlos stands alone in the center of the room, looking shocked and downtrodden. He motions to the violinist to stop their playing and lets himself collapse into the floor once the drum of Seb’s footsteps disappear. Mister Mazzara looks to Miss Jenn, not knowing what to do. She gives him a knowing look and gently squeezes his shoulder, motioning him to leave so she can talk to the prince. She would probably be more helpful to the prince in a time like this. 

It’s as if the life has left the young prince, and the lost boy he just thought he had found is gone in all of an instant. He knows what this is about, what it has to be about. Carlos is at least infatuated with, if not in love with the Matthew-Smith boy. He’s sure that letting the two of them waltz as partners only helped intensify whatever connection the two of them had, despite the forbidden nature of it. He never should have let them dance if it was going to do this to the prince. He cannot stand to see him like this, as frustrating as he may be, and he knows he needs to do everything in his power to help these two if it meant Carlos would be happy again. It is his duty to serve the crown, and if this is a component of the prince’s upbringing, so be it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mazzara is the biggest Seblos stan. I will not take criticism on this. 
> 
> I don't know if I'll do more Mazzara chapters, I was just really feeling this one right now and I just went for a short and sweet one. I definitely will be exploring whatever went down on the ballroom floor in the next chapter when I actually have it thought out but till then... I love you all so much, you have no right to be as nice and as wonderful of angels that you all are, giving me so much love for this self-indulgent trash. You are the best.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was too heavily inspired by that waltz moment in Anastasia in the Learn to Do It (Reprise) when Dimitri doesn't kiss Anya because princesses don't marry kitchen boys and then my heart breaks. 
> 
> Enjoy this emotional roller coaster of a disaster chapter, I like way struggled to write it so I hope it turned out okay!

_ What did he do wrong? What happened? Everything was going perfectly today.  _ He should have expected it, when did anything in his life go right for an extended period of time, so it only makes sense that he would scare off Seb too. But everything had been going so well since he ended up impressing his tutor with his knowledge on the kingdom’s arable land which he learned from his riding stint with Seb a few days past.

He honestly didn’t think agriculture could be that interesting until Seb explained things to him in an engaging manner. The blonde’s eyes would light up when he mentioned his family farm and he couldn’t stop smiling when talking about trips to the farmers’ market with his family. Carlos could swear that Seb is just a ball of light or an angel that fell from the heavens on accident because nobody had the right to be that cute or interesting. Education might  _ actually  _ be fun of somebody like Seb was teaching him because as much as he adores his lifelong tutor, the uniqueness in Mister Mazzara’s teaching style wore off  _ ages _ ago. 

He’s not entirely if his tutor letting him bring Seb along to dance lessons was a reward or a piece of bait, maybe a little bit of both, but he wasn’t complaining. He adores his dance lessons, it’s one of the only exciting things about his schooling, but they’ve grown dull over the years. Ashlyn, bless her heart, constantly trips over her own feet and isn't exactly the best dance partner. He also doesn't understand how she doesn't get it considering they are only ever taught the same few dances _every_ _single_ _lesson._ One would think there are only so many ways to a few up a waltz, but it seems quite honestly inexhaustible.

* * *

What he did not expect was for Seb to be so good at waltzing, he never would have thought the farm boy would be so light on his feet, but Seb dazzles him once again. 

“I didn’t know you knew how to waltz, Seb?” Carlos asks his dance partner with a smirk as they spin around the ballroom. He tries not to focus on the fact that his hand is on the small of Seb’s back and that he’s holding the other boy’s hand because if he does it may fry his brain. He feels one of Seb’s rough hands against his own, but the one that is driving him crazy is the one perched atop his shoulder, gently squeezing it. 

“Elena, Mary, and I practice a lot at home.” Seb says with a smile on his face as he reminisces about his family, “We’ve been saving up what we can for them to come out into society and want them to be ready, and well I was the only brother to oblige.” When Carlos releases his hand from the small of Seb’s back and pulls him into an underarm turn, he finds himself missing their closeness for all of two seconds they weren’t together.  _ God, he is desperate.  _

“When are you sisters coming out?” He asks with a smile on his face, happy to have Seb in both of his hands again and not just the one holding the farm boy’s.

Seb looks a bit surprised at first that Carlos would even ask about a family like his, before looking at him kindly, “We’re planning a small joint one this fall with some the Salazar-Roberts.” 

The Salazar-Roberts. The Salazar-Roberts. He pours his mind and remembers his conversation with Seb and the map from earlier today. They are the grain farmers who lived next to the Matthew-Smiths. “The ones who live next to you?” he asks, already knowing the answer, but hoping to earn some points from the other boy. 

“The very same,” Seb says with a quick nod and a smile, looking excited that Carlos remembered such a minuscule detail.  _ It worked.  _ Carlos internally praises himself for his quick thinking, which also comes across his face in a mirrored smile. “Their daughter Nina and her best friend Kourtney are also planning to come into society soon so we’ll be celebrating.” Seb’s eyes light up as he says, “We should go together!”

Carlos’s surprised face must have thrown off the farm boy who flushes and tries to avoid the prince’s gaze, “Sorry, that was improper of me.” 

Carlos gives Seb’s hand a squeeze and gently pushes the boy a few inches closer to him. He hears the other boy’s breath hitch and meets his eyes. Carlos smiles at the boy, too happy to be the object of his affections’ full attention. “Don’t be ridiculous, I would be honored to go with you.” 

“And I you,” Seb says shyly before moving his eyes away from Carlos to the violist as he flushes deeply. Now that Seb isn’t looking at him out of shyness and not disappointment, he allows himself to gaze at the boy in front of him as they dance shamelessly. He always noticed that Seb’s small frame is well toned from manual labor on the farm and in the stables, but really getting to almost hold the other boy helped confirm his assumptions. Seb is quite strong, and he is incredibly delicate that it seems ridiculous that he is the one leading. 

As the song ends, he hears small claps coming from his left and notices Ashlyn’s governess, Miss Jenn, as the source of the noise. She’s smiling widely at the two of them and gives them a thumbs up, as his tutor, Mister Mazzara tries to pretend he doesn’t know the woman standing next to him. She nudges him with her arm and he rolls his eyes and claps his hands in a way that drips of sarcasm, but makes her smile. He wonders if after years of dancing around one another figuratively if they will ever get together because they do suit each other.

He turns around and finds Seb has gone to sit on the settee and Carlos follows in quick pursuit. Carlos sits next to his farm boy for a minute in a comfortable silence as the two of them steal glances at one another, not quite sure what to say, if anything at all. He lets himself gaze at the ballroom and the boy next to him, taking in the moment and the sound of their breathing slowing down. All he knows is that he's going to have to  _ profusely _ thank Mister Mazzara for allowing this. 

He eyes Seb’s fingers tapping on the edge of the settee and inches his fingers closer with each passing minute, hoping Seb will his hand. Before anything can happen, he hears the violinist tune their violin and turn the page in their sheet music, indicating it is time for another dance. Instead of waiting he moves from the settee and into a bowed position and dramatically extending his hand out towards Seb, “Will you do me the honor of a dance, Sebastian?”

“Again?” Seb asks with a small giggle, which makes Carlos’s heart skip a beat. 

“Again, ” he nods and Seb takes his hand and gets up from the settee. As Carlos gets up from his bow, he quickly presses a kiss to Seb’s hand before pulling Seb into the waltz positions, trying not to allow himself any time to fumble or do anything stupid after his moment of being bold.

He and Seb don't know what to say or do at that moment, now that this new barrier of affection has been breached, so they both continue to fall into step and dance to the sound of the strings in ¾ time. They start off somewhat stiff and traditional, but as they move they get more creative with their spins and pacing.

Carlos is taken aback when Seb takes the lead from him and pulls him into an underarm spin. He laughs breathlessly at the other boy who is beaming at him as they go. He's never been allowed to follow, but now that he is, he wants Seb to be his lead forever. He feels so completely at ease and doesn't have to think about the next step, he just has to enjoy the moment. Enjoy the feeling of Seb’s hand in his. Enjoy his hand draped across Seb’s shoulders and his fingers touching the nape of Seb’s neck and feeling the ends of his soft blonde locks brush his fingers. Enjoy the feeling of Seb pulling him closer and closer as they dance.  _ Just enjoying Seb.  _

He allows himself to be lost in the moment, they both don't need words. They just need each other and their bodies are doing enough of the talking. As they waltz, they move as one, and now that Carlos has found Seb, this angel with the dust of the stars in his eyes, he never wants to stop dancing with him. He would throw it all away to do this, be with this boy forever if he could, but now just for a moment in love would be enough. 

As the music slows down, they lose momentum and fall into a slow rhythm like porcelain dancers atop a music box. They smile at one another as they slowly move closer and closer together and hold each other tighter. He notices himself flickering his eyes between Seb’s lips and his eyes, his entire body and soul aching to feel his lips against the other boy’s. He hears Seb’s breath hitch and feels the grip on his waist tighten as he plays with the ends of Seb’s hair and takes a step closer to him. 

As he takes a step in, Carlos finds him close enough to feel Seb’s breath mingle with his own and the light press of Seb’s forehead against his own. Their noses are practically touching and their lips are begging to do so, so Carlos allows himself to close his eyes.

Just as he does so, Carlos feels the absence of Seb’s hand in his and on his back. He grapples around, trying to find the boy and without avail, opens his eyes, knowing he must look ridiculous. Not seeing Seb in front of him, he looks below him to see the other boy on bended knee, murmuring, “I’m sorry, I have to go, milord, ” under his breath. As he gets up, they make eye contact and Carlos sees the flash of care and fear in the boy’s deep blue eyes that seem on the verge of tears. Carlos tries to grab his hand, but Seb tears his hand away and makes a run for it as he dashes out of the ballroom as fast as his feet can take him. 

Carlos feels himself shatter at that moment and crumbles to the ground as he heard the pounding of footsteps echo in the ballroom and things faded to black at that moment.

* * *

As he opens his eyes, Carlos’s head feels fuzzy as he tries to reorient himself. He remembers he’s in the ballroom and that he was at his waltzing lesson, with Seb? Yes, everything was going right until he went and screwed it up and went to try and kiss Seb. That was the beginning of the end as the world pooled around him. He still can’t even remember it all clearly, he remembers hearing the heavy footsteps flee the scene and the violinist’s music peter out on his command. It doesn't matter who sees him like this anymore, he doesn't care. He just wants to know what he's done wrong and why Seb left him like that, with no explanation. 

All he can think about is Seb’s eyes, so full of love and yet so full of fear in all of an instant. Carlos doesn’t know why Seb is afraid? He hadn’t done anything, to the most of his knowledge to scare or hurt Seb in any way, shape, or form? He had been gentle, kind, and he had more than improperly expressed his affection to the other boy on numerous occasions to the point where everyone with eyes could see the two of them were enamored with one another. 

He didn’t think that affection was ones-sided either, on more than one occasion he and the farm boy had amorous exchanges, and Carlos was not always the one to initiate. With every other moment, he still tries to unpack just what “my sweet prince” means and if it was just meant as a Hamlet reference in jest or if it was something more. You also just don’t tack on the possessive ‘my’ without meaning something, right? His sweet farm boy had ruffled his hair more than a few times and they are often more physically close than platonic friends should be whenever they spend time together. And Carlos was  _ quite  _ positive Seb had tried to kiss him the night he dropped off Seb’s letter. There has to be  _ something _ there. He knows that Seb cares, in the very slightest, because he saw that love mirrored back at him in the other boy’s eyes, but still. With every wrack of his brain, he cannot understand where this fear is coming from. He wishes with every fiber of his being that he kept his eyes open when Seb was about to kiss him, so he could have known if that same fear and love he just witnessed was there then as well. 

He’s pulled from his trance with a hand on his shoulder. He looks up to see Miss Jenn, Ashlyn’s governess looking at him with a soft smile, “Carlos, sweetie, are you okay?”

Carlos lets out a sigh and lets himself lie down on the ballroom and stare at the ceiling. “I wouldn’t be on the floor if I was okay, would I?” He lets out a hollow laugh and scoff, hoping this feigned disinterest will hide the tears he's buying back. Maybe he could just sink into the floor and disappear? He feels the teacher’s unimpressed gaze on him and lets out a sigh, “I’m a fool for thinking he would want to be with me.” 

Miss Jenn gently pulls him up next to her into a one-sided arm hug on the ground, trying to get him to sit up. He allows her to, not really having the energy to resist.

“If anything Lady Ashlyn told me and what I saw today was true, you are fooling yourself,” she says looking at him knowingly. He’s a bit taken aback by her words and slowly sits up with a confused look on his face, that reads ‘Go on.’ 

Miss Jenn continues with a small laugh, “Believe it or not Carlos, that boy is quite infatuated with you. You should see yourselves. That young man looks at you like you're the moon and the stars.” 

The thought of Seb looking at him, thinking of him like that would normally warm his heart, but right now it stings, “Then why did he run away?” Carlos questions, “Doesn’t he want the same thing?”

“Of course he does, but he doesn’t feel like he’s allowed to. In case you forgot, you are the prince, ” she looks down at him and he looks up, still confused.

“How do you know that?

“I’ve seen my share of class-differentiated romances in my day and am coaching your intended through one as we speak, ” she says softly, letting out a small melodic laugh.

Carlos sits straight up and looks at her with wide eyes, “Ash and Red?” She nods and Carlos raises his eyebrows, “You're not upset.”

“Lady Ashlyn is happy, what more can I want as her teacher, ” she says with a smile before adding on, “I can say the same for your own tutor as much as he wants to deny it.”

Carlos stares at her in disbelief, mouth agape. They couldn't be talking about  _ the same _ guy. “Mister Mazzara? Please. He can't stand being in the same room as me for longer than he's paid to.”

“Well looks like you, Mister Choreographer need to learn as much about your teacher as you do your farm boy, ” she says, pointing a finger and smiling at him as she gets up. 

“Mister Choreographer?” he asks, taking her hand as he gets to his feet. 

She smiles at him widely, her eyes lighting up, “Don’t feign confusion Carlos, I saw you out there changing up the waltz steps with Seb. You’d make a great dance-master.” 

Come to think of it, the idea of being a dance-master sounds wonderful. As much as he loves the waltz, branle dance or a quadrille more than anyone, he does want something different, something new. He wants faster music that he can move to and new ways to move beyond the socially acceptable partner dances and social dances that they are limited to. He sometimes hums to himself in his room in front of his mirror as he dances to nothing and everything, trying to come up with the next trend in courtly social dance and wishing he could go experience the vivacity of folk dance among the poorer commoners. If he had his choice in life, he decides Carlos would want to be a dance-master. Then, he could travel the world and witness each type and flavor of local dance and culture in court  _ without  _ having to be the focus of attention at court. Then there would be no rules, no bloodlines to maintain or heirs to have, he could just be Carlos, the dance-master, just a completely normal person. Then he could maybe, if Seb wanted to, be with Seb. 

“Thanks, Miss Jenn, I think I would like that very much,” Carlos nods as he smiles to himself imagining what his future would be like if he could dare to entertain that fantasy.

“Maybe you should be the one teaching milady Caswell next lesson,” she says lightly nudging him with her elbow.

“Only if she dances with Red so I don’t lose a toe, ” he says, letting himself enjoy the levity even if for a moment,

“Sounds like a plan, ” she says before placing a hand on his shoulder, “Go try and get some rest and work through your emotions. I can see them hiding behind your royal facade, but you have to let them go and trust the process, ” she says before giving his shoulder a light squeeze and a smile saying, ‘Everything will be alright.’

He decides he is going to go to his quarters and write in his journal, and if the tears come in the solace of his solitude so be it. He will allow himself this time to figure out what he's going to do in order to make Seb feel more comfortable around him and like less of a burden or as someone beneath him. He needs to do this because Seb will never be able to love him truly and unapologetically if he feels guilty or unworthy of the love Carlos aches to give him. He has to make sure his beloved doesn’t feel that way, and if Ashlyn can do it, so can he. _He just has to trust the process._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: Miss Jenn is an underutilized and underdeveloped character in the HSM fanfiction world and has so much emotion and character depth that goes unexplored.   
> Also Me: T R U S T T H E P R O C E S S 
> 
> Mister Mazzara is also a soft boi and I love him with my whole heart. He got rights in episode five after making up for that shit in harming Carlos and has had my heart since so I will not shut up about him
> 
> Also this was fun to write, we love us some good pining boys and regency era romance and conversation because we must respect our good lord and savior, Jane Austen, the pinnacle of romance.
> 
> I legit have no idea where this fic is going because trying to figure out the world's politics is a TIME and I'm starting school tomorrow so updates will probably be slower, I am sorry in advance and love you all.


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